Stranded
by Unfulfilled-dreams
Summary: After a horrible storm Zoro and Sanji are stuck alone on a deserted island. with no other choice but to live together or die, what will come from this haphazard adventure? ZoroXSanji, later lemon! Currently only language. mature warning later on.
1. The storm

Chapter one

Sunlight gleamed above the nearly empty sea, its rays casting glaring reflections about the ocean. Calm waves hide violent undercurrents, ridden by thousands of exotic fishes. Tossed lightly from the azure waves, was an impressive ship, her rough wood deck gleaming proudly as the brilliant rays struck it. The majestic vessel creaked as the hot sun warmed her oaken planks, only to have them cooled by the ever turning waves. Seagull's cries filled the air as the birds swooped around the ship, wings brushing past intricate gold letters. The spidery writing spelled out her name, The Going Merry, a fine name for a fine ship.

Though at the moment it didn't seem as though the crew was very "Merry."

Voices echoed across the vast expanse of sea, losing themselves to the empty waves. Footsteps shook the quiet day as the crew rushed about, laughter and calls for others to "get off their lazy asses" kept the day lively.

Through the masses of movement there was a single figure, lying alone, and unmoving. His only contribution to the noise was the soft snores he issued every fifteen seconds or so through slightly parted lips. Vibrant green hair stuck straight up, all save for the few strands that fell across tightly closed eyes. His arms curled behind his head in substitution of a pillow, fingers knitted tightly together to keep his makeshift pillow from coming apart. The cotton shirt that clung to his muscular frame left no divot, scar, or muscle to the imagination.

A "swordsmen's' body" was the only way to explain it, chiseled to perfection, no muscle left un-tightened. To support the idea were three katana that lay next to him, beautifully carved sheaths polished to perfection. The position the blades told a story of their own, easy to reach and half drawn. The swordsman was ready for anything.

Or so he thought.

Blissfully dreaming of days gone by, the swordsman slept soundly through the shouts for "more water", and " Ussop, you missed a spot!". Sleeping was just more important than listening to his colleagues.

And in his sleep, swirled dreams of red and gold, greens and blues, the old and the new faces he knew all mixing together. Until finally they came to rest in his childhood. An old dojo warped with the explosions of abnormality that dreams cause swam before him. The sounds of the ship mixed with his dream, causing fighters-in-training to care about the state of sails and rigging.

The familiar yet distant walls rose before him as he stepped into the open room, feet padding on the tatami mats placed at the door. Students swarmed around him like ants, all swinging their practice swords, each swing sounding like the whistle of the wind past the mast. His eyes scanned the open room, finally coming to rest on the lithe figure of a young girl. Like a ghost, the beautiful girl drifted towards him, Kuina was her name, and he would never forget her. Never forget their promise. He walked forward to great her, and was rewarded by her thin lips parted into a sweet smile. With a delicate gesture of her hand she reached forward, gently settling the appendage on his cheek. The smooth fingers ran sensually down his face, coming to rest on his neck. With a shudder of happiness he listened for the sweet voice he remembered so well-

Only to hear, not the whispers he wanted to, but a piercing voice, so obnoxious it ripped the young man from his dream and back to the busy deck of the ship.

"Oi! Shitface wake up!"

Anger coursed through the youth as he dragged his eyes open. He knew that voice, and (he swore this to god) if the reason for waking his up were something stupid he would kill the other man for sure.

His eyes locked onto his ears assailant as soon as he could keep them focused. A well-kept man of about eighteen stood over him. Short, yet shaggy blond hair hung neatly (some how it could be out of place yet still look organized (Zoro wasn't sure how)) over one eye, hiding it entirely from view. His towering form blocked the view, the familiar black pinstriped suit seeming to suck all light out of the area. The blonde's long legs stretched up on either side of him, giving the illusion that he was nine feet tall instead of only six. Ashes from a cigarette clasped between the man's slender fingers fluttered through the air, landing on the swordsman's shirt.

With an angry hiss, he brushed them off, hoping the white material wouldn't hold the gray stain. He glowered up at the other man, trying to send his hatred through an invisible beam and cause him to spontaneously combust. It didn't happen, nor did the chef taking the hint and leaving. With a resigned grimace and a heavy sigh Zoro decided he might as well find out what the ecliptic man wanted.

"What do you want Sanji?" he queried angrily.

"Time to get up and pull your weight Marimo-head."

"Zoro, thanks. I like my name."

With a roll of his eye, and a slight downward twitch of one impossibly looped eyebrow the cook sneered. The tug of his lip revealed impossibly white teeth.

Impossibly, thought Zoro, that's the only thing that describes this guy. Impossibly tall, impossibly weird eyebrows, impossibly ugly…

Zoro felt himself smile.

Sanji obviously didn't seem to like the reaction to the sneer, for it was quickly replaced by an angered expression, twisted enough that the pair of veins in his temple began to throb. This only made Zoro's grin wider. He loved it when the cook looked bad. It was nice to know that a guy like him could look just as bad as everyone else at times. Sensing the glee at his current disposition the other man changed his face to a look of sardonic amusement.

"No grog with your dinner if you don't get up, lazy-ass."

Zoro sighed. Sanji had beaten him. With a small grunt he worked his way into a sitting position, then straightened his back with a loud pop. After years of stress his body often made noises as loud as the ships. He let his head roll back on his neck, reveling in the grinding noise it made. He heard the cook snort in disgust, and decided to crack a few more bone. Then with a contented smile he stood, yawned loudly and walked off to find out his duties. Of course he made sure to run his shoulder into the other man's before departing. Sanji glared, Zoro smiled, it was going to be a good, long day of pissing the hell out of the uppity prick.

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Several hours later the crew sat on the newly cleaned and polished deck, every member eating their dinner, all in the blissful state that comes with completing a difficult task. The sun sat low in the sky, sending hues of pink, purple and red skittering across the waves. The colorful ocean lapped gently against the side of the ship, sending small sprays of salt water cascading into the air. The tang of the water, and the sweet smell wafting off the distant shore swirled around them, mixing with the aroma of the food, creating a sensual, and romantic atmosphere. Stars were peeping through the veil of dusk, little tinkling lights dotting the sky, in a breathtaking mosaic of sizes. Dark red and purple clouds lined the horizon, the prow of the ship headed straight for them.

The scrape of silverware and chatter of voices filled the air, causing a thick buss of activity noises. Zoro poked at his food with his fork, scraping the metal against the pottery plate. Small screeches reverberated in his ears. The food wasn't the cause of his lack of eating activity, in fact it looked quite delicious. He was sure it tasted amazing as well, Sanji's cooking always did, since he filled it with the freshest of ingredence. The basil was fresh and the tomato blend (as Sanji had put it, heaven forbid you called it "tomato stuff") was scrumptious, based off his sense of smell. It was just something in the back of his mind, like a blinking light that screamed disaster. Even his growling stomach couldn't make him eat. The feeling made him to queasy.

"Hey!"

Zoro raised his eyes a fraction from food, bringing them to rest on the shiny black shoes that belonged to only one person. The only idiot on the ship who shined his shoes and wore a dress suit at all times. His eyes shot up to Sanji's face, the realization that he hated the other man swimming to the front of his thoughts. With an upward, rolling flick of his eyes he replied to blond's angry, questioning look.

"what do you want?"

"I put a lot of effort in to that. You better eat it."

"I'm not hungry now, Ill eat it later."

Sanji narrowed his eyes, and Zoro got the feeling he had done something more than offend him. It was seldom that the cook looked at him with something other than distain. Anytime it had happened had been alcohol induced, and he had gotten plenty death-glares after the fact.

Sanji sighed and sat heavily on the deck, crossing his long legs in away that made Zoro think of a book he had read once, something about a genetically mutated man who looked like a spider….

Before he knew what was happening the blond had stolen his fork. Zoro could only stare in shock as the other man twirled the noodles around the utensil, balling then around the prongs. Then he held them up, a straight expression across his face. His eyes locked with Zoro's. The sauce made a plopping noise as it fell from the tightly wound noodles and fell back to the plate. Zoro blinked, as soon as he did he knew it was the wrong thing to do.

Like a shot Sanji was on him, forcing the noodles into his mouth.

With a gurgle of rage the Zoro attempted to pull away, but the chef was one step ahead of him. With a strange yoga type move he wrapped one leg around Zoro's waist, putting his free hand on his chest and forcing him to lie on the deck.

Then he sat on him.

With a strangled cry of "I'm going to kill you" Zoro attempted to free himself, but to no avail. With his left hand Sanji held the fork, while his right darted forward and seized Zoro's jaws, wrenching them open the cook had won. Mouthful after mouthful of tomato-sauce drenched noodles were shoved into his mouth until he was sure he was going to burst. Then the Cook stopped, stood up and calmly took all of the dishes into the kitchen.

After a pause Zoro sat up, feeling his stomach churning at the over consumption, and the rapid ingestion. He glowered at the other crewmembers, all of who were watching him, hysterical laughter bubbling from their mouths in endless streams. With a grunt he stood and headed to the kitchen, determined not to let his embarrassment show, and to make the chef pay for the actions.

With quick, bounding steps he crossed the deck, the loud thuds his feet made drowned out by the angry sound of blood pulsing through his ears. The nerve of the little prick, treating him like a child! Luffy had let him get away with far too much, if the chef hadn't been so damned talented…

Needless to say he wouldn't get away with half the things he did.

He grabbed the ornate metal doorknob and twisted, pushing the door open with one concise movement. There was no need to pause, not when he was so angry. With a meek squeak, the thick oaken door slid open. Zoro rarely when into the kitchen, and when he did, it had always been to help (and by help, he meant forced) to clean dishes.

The room before him could not be the room he had seen before. If it weren't in the same location, he wouldn't have believed it.

Copper pots and pans glowed warmly in the weak light still given off from the sun. The hung neatly over an island butcher table positioned in the middle of the large kitchen. Thick groves lined its surface, deep long gashes made by razor sharp knives. The floor was a gleaming lightwood, Zoro wasn't sure what it was, but it was a perfect fit with the dark counters. Shining cookware lined counter top, things that couldn't possibly be useful. Drawers lined the sides of the cabinets no doubt filled with strange cooking contraptions Zoro had never seen before. The smell of fresh baked sweets tickled his nose, making his mouth salivate.

In front of the large bay window sat the sink, currently blocked by the object of his indignation. Sanji was bent over a beautiful copper basin, filled to the brim with dishes and soapy water. His thin black covered frame was accentuated by the blinding orange glow of the setting sun, visible through the window in front of the sink. Blond locks seemed to bleed red and his head turned this way and that, trying to spot anymore grim on the pan he was cleaning. Sanji looked beautiful, picturesque. Sanji looked breathtaking.

Zoro stood there feeling as if someone had punched him in the gut, and stolen all of his air from his lungs. His knees went weak, and his breath came in short gasps. If he didn't know any better he would say that he was attracted to the other man.

Zoro didn't let himself finish the thought. In fact he hadn't even gotten through the word "attracted" before his brains over ride function had gone off. Zoro forgot his thought and walked out, almost forgetting why he had gone in in the first place.

With quick steps he crossed the deck, blocking out the other crewmember's calls for him to join them. He kept his head down, trying to remember what it was he had gone into the kitchen for, only nothing could come to his mind. It was as if a wall had gone around the memories of the past five minutes, preventing him from accessing them. The deck flew beneath his feet, seeming to jettison him to the sleeping cabin door.

He hadn't seemed tired, but upon seeing the door behind which his bed lay, he realized he was exhausted. Zoro reached up, arm suddenly led, and opened the door. Sighing tiredly he made his way down the steps, head spinning as sleep threatened to over take him. With fuzzy thoughts spinning through his head, he made his way down the familiar hallway. Two doors on the left three on the right, turn, grab doorknob, open door. Three steps to bed….

With clumsy fingers he undid the strap holding his katana to his waste, setting them perfectly in reach of the hammock, then flung himself into the folds of knitted rope. Zoro let the rocking of the ship lull him into a dreamless sleep.

After what seemed like seconds Zoro was ripped from his sleep by a loud bang. A deafening crack ran through the very timbers of the ship, making his blood run cold. In a heart beat he was out of bed, swing his leg in a wide arc to flip him self out of the hammock. The normally loud thunk of his boot was muffled by the wind howling, mimicking a pack of hungry wolfs outside the ship. The vessel lurched beneath him, launching him to the floor. He landed chest first, wind getting knocked from his lungs. He flung himself to his feet, if the ship were to sink the under-deck would flood. Zoro was fast, but water would always be fast. And water had the advantage of not having to breath.

he stepped forward, unconsciously letting his body sway slightly with the ship. If he found its rhyme, it would be easier to stand… but if it was a bad storm there would be no pattern to the waves and he was just wasting time. Abandoning his balance lessons he turned and dashed for the door, throwing it open just as a wave hit the hull. The violent force flung him forwards, smashing him viciously into the thick door across from him. Salty blood ran across his swelling lips, he didn't stop, stopping could mean death.

With a string of livid curses he made his way down the hall, pressing the flat of his palms to either wall on his sides, using the opposing force to help him stay upright. The fresh oil on the walls made his fingers slip, and every time the ship jumped from the waves, his head connected with a sickening crack with the firm oak planks. He stumbled down the hall, suddenly foreign to him, and searched desperately for the stairs. The hall seemed to stretch forever. The pounding of imaginary waves enclosed on him, and it seemed as though he was already submerged already drowning….

At last his steel-toed boot connected roughly with the bottom step, and he came crashing down to his knees, the joints connecting with the hard edge of it. He grunted in pain and sat on the step, noticing through the large new holes on the knees of his pants. His skin was torn, just enough that little wells of blood were bubbling up.

_You wont notice the blood once you drown_, his mind was screaming for him to move. The gurgling of water dragged him out of his daze, and the wave of salt water that splashed down the stairs drove him to his feet. Wet clothing clung to his body, hindering his movements. With sheer force of will, Zoro dragged his battered body to it's feet. The water dragged at his ankles, gurgling angrily. He sloshed forward, mind screaming for him to move as the water rose around him. With a shudder, he slammed his palms against the walls, while at the same time pressing the sides of his boots against the trim, putting himself in a spread eagle position.

With a forceful trust, and a growl of frustration, Zoro launched himself up the stairs, tripping as the water tugged him back. He boots were defiantly not stream-lined, he would have to remember to lift his knees higher if they ever had to escape through a stream, or something water related.

Zoro was so caught up in his thoughts, that he didn't notice the door until it was literally, right in front of him. With a painful thud, he collided with the thick frame. Zoro stumbled back with a gruff groan almost losing his balance in his daze. With a wild flail he snatched the handle of the door, holding the small orb tightly in his wet hands. Zoro's mind couldn't handle the He turned the slippery silver knob just as the ship pitched forward again, hurling him gracelessly onto the deck.

For the third time in less than four minutes Zoro smacked his face against a hard, wooden surface, only this time, he slid forward. On his face. With a cry of pain that was soon cut short by the torrential amount of water he sucked into his mouth, Zoro leapt back to his feet.

Rain was falling hard, the small drops leaving small harsh kisses on his bare skin. In seconds the last dry parts of his body were soaked. His hair plastered itself to his face with the water, it felt as though he had gotten in to the shower clothed. The rain darkened the sky to an ominous hue of black, the droplets fell so quickly they created a curtain, making it almost impossible to see. Thunder boomed around him, while lightning would light up the world for seconds at a time, making it as bright as day. The ship rocked hazardously, threatening to throw him over board at any minute. With every toss of the waves, more and more water spilled over the rails, tugging at his legs like frantic children.

Zoro lunged forward, dragging himself through the dangerously rapid water, hoping he was headed for the mast. He cried out for his companions, but the sound of the sea and rain muffled the desperate plea. With hands outstretched he sloshed through the water, fingers groping for the unseen mast. After what seemed like a lifetime the tips of his fingers smashed into the thick wood pole, every joint popping in protestation at the treatment. With quick trained movements Zoro found his safety line and tied it tightly around his waist.

Over, under, knot the end…

The thoughts flew through his mind, the many practices making the knot tight. With a quick twist he grasped the knobs behind him, the smooth wet wood comforting to his open palms. The end on pegs was secure, he would have no chance of falling over board. With out thinking he checked the others, giving each rope a deft tug to test how well it was secured. A mental check lest scrolled through his head as he grasped each rope, each ropes respective person popping briefly through his mind.

"Nami, Usopp, Luffy, Chopper, Vivi, Robin, Sa-"

Zoro panicked, the chef's line was gone. With desperate fingers he darted his hands over the pegs, praying that the man's line was sharing a peg with someone else's'. All only carried one knot.

Sanji's line was gone.

"Sanji!" he called out, knowing that the other man would never hear him over the crash of the waves and thunder. He dropped to his knees, blocking out the sting of the salt water on open wounds in his frantic search for the cook's lifeline. His hands sloshed through the deep water that had collected on the deck, the cold of it causing his fingers to become stiff. Chunks of hail mixed with the rain, battering his muscles as he clawed his way though the water on hands and knees. Seawater splashed against him, filling his nostrils with a fiery burn. A bewildered mind and tired hands caused him twice, to think he found the missing lifeline. Twice he was mistaken.

With a roar of frustration at his failure, Zoro lunged to his feet. If he told someone else they could help him look. Oh, if only he had said something before, the cook could be long gone by now….

No, Goddamn it! He's too ornery to die!

He sprinted across the now only slick deck, a lucky recess in the tide having sucked the water away. The stairs to the quarterdeck loomed above him, and with in seconds he had sprinted up them, muffled thuds accompanying his footfalls. As he tore around the corner his eyes locked on to his captain, his youthful face twisted with the effort it took to control his bucking ship. To his right stood the navigator, a beautiful woman, though right now her hair was disheveled do to the wind.

Zoro couldn't help but notice she was defiantly cold. And wet.. in a white shirt. With a grimace, Zoro tore his eyes from the woman's chest, he hated being attracted to that particular wench, especially in times when he had other things to focus on. He stumbled across the open deck towards the captain and his navigator, aware of the seas steady increase of activity. The storm was reaching its peak.

"Luffy!" he shouted as he saw the other man. The scream was to no avail. The wind ripped his words away and the sea swallowed them whole. There was no way his captain would hear him through the storm. The only possible way they could communicate would be if they were mere inches from each other's faces. With a groan, Zoro shot forward, slamming himself not only against the ships wheel, but sandwiching his captain in the process.

With a stupid grin Luffy looked at him, letting lose with a,

"well hello Zoro!"

"Sanji is gone!" Zoro stated calmly, unaware of where his relaxed tone came from. Luffy looked shocked for a moment, and seemed to be thinking. He gave Zoro a sort of, "are you sure" look, which Zoro promptly returned with a " yes you fuckstick I am".

"Tell the others, we will find him before he gets lost."

The captain spat, a hard determined tone to his voice. With a curt nod Zoro ran off, the navigator hot on his heels. (he figured the woman had been listening, leave it to her to HAVE to know what was going on.) The two arrived simultaneously at the mast, quickly taking a hold of other crewmembers lines. With sharp tugs the alerted the other members to danger. They all appeared quickly, eyes scanning through the haze to see who wasn't among them. Before a question was uttered he cut them off, yelling above the wind to his friends,

"Sanji is missing, there is a high probability he went overboard. Search for his, its first priority, on captains orders!"

They each gave a quick nod, letting him know they had heard and then ran to find their missing comrade. Zoro ran to the ships edge, eyes scanning the black sea for any signs of the blond. Large waves rolled high, the huge swells that they created could easily carry a man away in a matter of seconds. If he didn't find Sanji soon, he could be swept away.

He might already be gone, he thought bitterly.

The dark sky crackled and a brief flash of lightning light up the sea. The night way day for mere seconds, but that was all Zoro's trained eyes needed. Floundering in the waves, less than 50 yards away, was the cook. The lean man could only have been swimming for minutes, but with the current he probably felt it had been hours. The waves kept pulling the exhausted man further away from the ship, it was as if he were a child's toy on a string getting dragged around. With a yell to Luffy that he was sire the captain didn't hear, Zoro leapt into the water; body cutting through the rolling waves like a knife through butter.

Unfortunately the frigidness of the water cut even cleaner through his cloths, and then through his skin. His body reacted emmidiatly, causing rough twitches to course through him in an attempt to keep warm. His arms and legs struggled against the cold, freezing and becoming almost useless. Jumping in to save the Sanji could very well get them both killed.

With a wild kick of his legs, Zoro pushed himself in a direction he thought was up, body beginning to slowly propel itself slowly forward. His hands clawed towards the sky, his lungs screaming for air; small lights exploded in front of his eyes as his oxygen ran out. With a wild shout he broke the surface, arms flailing as he gasped for air. The under currants he had fought so hard to free himself from sucked at his legs, while waves tried like large hands to push him under. It seemed as though the entire ocean was against him.

When his lungs had had their fill of air, Zoro began his search for the floundering chef. The waves were so high above his head he could barely see, but when his particular patch of water rose, the sea was a perfect vista. Dark waves surged around him, acting as if they were a giant animal, breathing heavily in the euphoria of sleep. Through the endless black there was a sudden glint of gold, only illuminated by a sudden flash of lightning. With a recess in his surge, Zoro swam forward, dragging his body through the waves towards the floundering outline of a man.

Another flash of lightning, the night was day for only a second, just enough time for Zoro to see an alabaster hand slip into the waves. With a yelp of horror (which quickly filled his mouth with suffocating saltwater) he power-housed through the waves, diving through the larger ones to save time. If he didn't reach the chef in less than a minute, the he would never be seen again. There was no way to be sure where the cook had gone under, so with a deep breath Zoro dived.

The dark waters proved difficult to see anything in. The turbulent water pushed his body around as if it were a stick, nearly tossing him in circles at times. His open eyes burned, the over load of salt causing them to become blurry. He groped forward, trying to make it as low as possible to see if the cook was sinking. His ears popped as he got deeper, the pressure of the water squeezing him mercilessly. His lungs strained, shrinking as he dove deeper, causing air bubbles to escape his nose. Then, they couldn't take anymore. On instinct Zoro swiveled his body around and began frantically clawing his way to the surface; his lungs burned while his eyes felt as though they were popping out.

With a quick intake of breath he exploded from the water, throwing his head back and gasping for air; for the second time in only minutes. As suddenly as he had come up, something wrapped around his neck, momentarily pushing him under the swells. A head pressed to his shoulder, wet hair sticking to his neck. Small pants sent air swishing past his ears, obviously he was acting as someone's life raft.

"I thought, you'd all forget about me…"

He whispered, his voice nearly inaudible.

Zoro smiled, forgetting the other man couldn't see the expression. "Forget you? How could I possibly forget something so ugly?"

Sanji answered with a weak laugh, and then pulled himself closer to Zoro.

"You'll have to give me a minute, I'm to tired to think of a comeback…"

Zoro turned his head away, his smile disappearing as he remembered their plight. His eyes desperately searched for some sign of the Going Merry through the rolling, black waves. There was nothing as far as he could see, save for a small black shadow that marked a distant shoreline. Even that was hard to make out, even though

The ocean was desolate, the ship was had vanished. The now calm ocean swirled around the two shivering men, and stars shone coldly above, winking in supposed mockery. Had it been any other night, Zoro would have thought them pretty. But as the cold squeezed his chest and the weight of the cook dragged him down, there was nothing appealing about the distant balls of light.

With an awkward twist to look at the now unconscious Sanji, Zoro let out a resigned sigh, dragging his arms out of the water in wide arcs, grasping hand fulls of the sea as he dragged them to the island. Determination coursed through his body, there was no way in hell he'd let himself die like this. Though with no food or water, they were in deep trouble in the long haul. But for now, his main priority had to be reaching that shore, with the chef as a leaden weight it wouldn't be easy; but they had to reach the shore, and fast, if either of them were to live.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

All right. I decided to redo all of the orig. chapters because I think my style has improved and I wanted to let everyone see that in these chapters. Umm R&R. I'm hoping to get this story done by its start date. That way it was exactly a year in production. It'll take a while. My PT wants he to do less sitting with bad posture at a computer and more exercise ball stuff. (for those of you who don't know, I broke my back a few months ago)… I know I need an editor.

Tony


	2. Awakening

Zoro awoke on a beach, the rough particles of sand digging mercilessly into the tender salt water chapped skin. He rolled over, coughing at the horrible taste of salt water burring his mouth. The sun burned his eyes, causing them to water, and he blinked attempting to get the sun spots to disappear. After a moment of laying there he remembered what had happened. _The storm, we were thrown overboard… wait… no Sanji fell.. and I jumped in after him… _Zoro sat up, the blood rushing to his head, forcing him to lay down again. He tried again several seconds later and scanned the beach. It was desolate. Not a trace of another human being.

Zoro began to panic. What if he had dropped the cook out at sea? Whas Sanji out there… just a floating cadaver? Images of the blond raced through his head. Images of seagulls, and fish feasting away at the corpse the sea had given them. Zoro jumped to his feet whirling around as he did. Maybe he hadn't dropped the cook. Maybe he was on the island… Maybe… he had left Zoro to die… with a growl he stalked down the beach, checking to make sure his Katanas were at his hip, they weren't. "Damnit! I didn't grab them when the storm hit… how could I have been so stupid?"

He screamed loud and long. It wasn't fair, how had this happened. Even as he tried to curse the Gods he couldn't, he knew this was all his fault. "If I wasn't so FUCKING CHIVALRIOUS!!!" he kicked wildly at the sand on the beach, sending the tiny golden particles flying.

When his rage was spent it was replaced by a growing hunger. "Damn… I need food… and I need to stop talking to myself… this isn't like you Zoro… think about it, you got tortured… and you didn't snap, don't let a stupid island break you!" With a low growl of annoyance he started down the beach, his heavy, water logged boots slipping on the shifting sand.

"Wow... what a wonderful beach… there is NOTHING HERE!"

He had been walking for hours, and not a thing had come up. His hunger was tearing his stomach apart, but his thirst was killing him. Literally. If he didn't find water soon, he wouldn't have the energy to go on. You could live three weeks with out food, you could only live a few days with out water.

With a sigh he turned his head to the thick jungles that covered the shoreline. "I don't want to... but I need to find a stream… Shit, I wish I had grabbed my damn swords…" he shook his head; there was no use in him crying over spilt milk. Well, maybe there was, a good cold glass of milk sounded quite good. Grog sounded better though. He smiled as the image of a tall glass filled with the amber liquid appeared in his head. He could see the condensation sliding down the sides in thick droplets, pooling on table below it.

He smiled and licked his lips, all his attention focuses on the image. With a startling and painful thud he hit a large coconut tree. He threw himself backwards as two of the older, brown nuts fell. "heh… if those had hit me I'd proly be dead." It was true, the two pound nuts had fallen from a 20 foot tree, the velocity that they would have hit him would have been tremendous. He smiled and looked up at the large tree. "Well that solves my water problem!"

Zoro took a flying leap and latched himself around the trunk of the tall palm tree. He quickly shimmied up the round shaft and grabbed one of the nuts at the top, hidden beneath the leaves. With a quick twist he broke the young green nut from the tree. He yelped as he lost control of it and it barreled past him, burrowing itself deep into the ground upon impact. He smiled again, this time wider, more insanely, then slowly started to slide down the tree.

Any happiness he had felt about gathering the nut was soon lost as his groin pressed against the tree. Even through the thick fabric of his pants Zoro could feel the bark tearing at his skin. With a loud groan of pain the swordsman continued down, stopping every so often to revel in his groins misery. When his feet touched the ground he fell backwards, letting the sand cushion his fall. It did so very badly. All of his wind was knocked from his body, causing Zoro to lay their in even more pain. Suddenly it seemed as though dying of thirst would have been a blessing.

After a pause he slowly stood up, and wandered over to where he had seen the green coconut drop. It was still there, not a scratch on its rough skin. He stooped and scooped it up, sliding his calloused hands over the surface. "Alright… I have the nut... now where is the knife?"

Zoro wandered through the beginnings of the forest, searching for any sign of a thick, sharp, broken tree. The thick undergrowth of the jungle caught at his ankles, and the trees slapped at his face. With a sigh he turned around. He wasn't getting any deeper into this jungle with out some sort of sharp sword. He turned around and came face to face with a leering white figure. With a gasp of shock the swordsman dropped his coconut, then cursed as it smashed into his feet. He stooped and picked it up again, then stood, determined to find out more about this odd skeleton in the words.

The bones had been there for a long time. The bleached shine they had told Zoro that. The body was crumpled next to a thick tree. Vines grew through its rib cage and tied its other limbs together. Teeth marks marred the opaque skeleton, but Zoro had found something that interested him more than signs of an animal attack. In the Cadavers left hand was clasped an old, chipped cutlass. It was in need of a good polishing, as rust had overtaken most of the blade, but a quick run across his hand told him the edge was plenty sharp.

He stabbed it down into the coconut, relishing the cracking noise the nut made as it pierced its hard skin.

Zoro ripped the swords out and dropped it near his knees, then stopped and wrapped his hands around the seed and lifted it into the air. Refreshing, sweet water spilled from the gash in it's side, drenching Zoro's face and neck. He drank greedily, allowing soft moans of appreciation to escape his lips as he did. With the nut drain he tossed it to the side, then paused. He picked the sword up and sliced the nut neatly in two halfs. Picking one side to eat, he began to stab the meat of the other repeatedly, until the insides were a think, runny white. He swallowed the chink in his mouth thoughtfully, then stooped down and began to run the pulp over his skin.

The coconut juices seared his cuts, but soothed his saltwater chapped skin. With a small groan he continued to coat himself with the liquid. When his fingers scraped the bottom at last he was almost completely covered in the home-made ointment.

Zoro stood up, examining the forest infront of him. _Well, the only way to know if the others lived is to go and find them… besides I have a sword now. There is nothing stopping me from going in there._ He stepped into the woods, inhaling as he did. He yeah again had the strange feeling something bad was going to happen.

_Ok I know this one is shorter, but don't worry, the next one will be longer… but I don't like to make them too long… cause then they take forever to read. Umm I'm fairly new to the whole posting stories online so people can read them… so give me some tips… I know I suck hard core right now, But I am aspiring to be a writer someday (hah.. yeah even I laugh at my dreams!) So please help me improve… _


	3. OMG! its Sanji! did that ryme?

_Sorry about the delay, here it is… By the way __Lady Geuna__, I am soooo stealing the man eater tribe. HAH! Oh and thanks _Zo-zemonkeySan, _you made my day…! Woohoo!_

_And I live off of your reviews… you have no idea how much they mean to me… seriously... I wouldn't write if I didn't get them… I LOVE YOU ALL, IF I HAD A UTERUS I WOULD HAVE YOUR BABIES... don't ask._

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Zoro swung the sword deftly, the chipped blade violently slicing through the air. With a resounding _thunk_, it caught a small limber tree in front of him and ripped through its narrow trunk, effectively moving it out of his way. The small tree fell and he quickly stepped onto its small trunk and continued on his way, branches slapping at his legs. It was places like this that reminded him why he liked the sea. He paused taking in ragged breaths, vibrant green hair plastered to his forehead from an abundance of sweat. The humidity of the air and the exertion he'd spent maneuvering in the think trees was enough to make him light headed.

Zoro let himself fall backwards onto one of the thicker, stronger trees. He had been trekking thought this forest for hours, and he had still not found a sign of his companions.

With a sigh he turned his head to the side, and drank in his surroundings. He was deep in the lush jungle; trees ten times taller then the mast of the Merry-go towered over him. Swirls of moss and vines snaked their ways up thick tree trunks, causing the bark to be almost non-existent. The thick canopy up above blacked out most of the light, making it hard to discern figures, honestly any of the other crewmembers could have been dead on the ground and Zoro wouldn't have seen them. The ground was littered with fallen trees, and thick foliage, small trailing plants gripped his ankles with every step, making moving even more of a chore.

Zoro jumped as the bushes behind him rustled, breaking his concentration. With a start he whirled around, weapon drawn and at the ready. The trees groaned and shifted as something plunged through them towards him. With a small grunt of anticipation he dropped into his fighting stance. What ever was coming was obviously as lost and tired as he, Judging by the loud racket it was creating, so he didn't have much to fear.

With a loud, angry grumble the figure broke through the trees and into Zoro's view. Tousled blond hair, and a disheveled black pin-stripped suit revealed that it was the ships chef.

"Sanji!" The excitement in Zoro's voice astounded him slightly. This had to be the first time in his life he was actually happy to see the uppity little bastard.

The blond looked up, hair falling over his left eye, as usual. The visible vibrant blue eye narrowed as it locked onto the swordsman.

"What do you think you're doing marimo-head? Put you shit-sword away before you put my shit eye out!"

"Aww, and here was me thinking you would actually be happy to see me."

"Happy to see you!? What kind of shit thinking got you to that point in your mind?"

Zoro grunted angrily. Even in a life or death situation the cook couldn't be happy to see him. It had always been that way. The skinny little shit wasn't happy unless you were a woman!

Sanji sighed and flipped his hair effeminately, a move that didn't go unnoticed by the lime-haired swordsman.

"Wow… next thing you know your going to be taking it up the ass and wearing a skirt.." Zoro sneered, letting his words drip with contempt. Sanji huffed and walked over to Zoro's right side. His petite shoulders brushing Zoro's broad ones. With a shiver Zoro felt the unusual tingle that accompanied the cook's touch. A small buzz that lasted only seconds, and left a confused swirl in the pit of his stomach.

"Catching a cold marimo-head?" the cook queried snidly.

"Oh yeah, your cold heart is giving me hypothermia." The lime-haired man said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Sanji huffed again, and tread forward, twigs snapping loudly as he did. Zoro winced, "How did you not get caught and eaten? You sound like a bloody elephant!"

Zoro chuckled, "In fact, your ass kinda looks like one!"

"Nice to know your looking."

The laugh died in his throat and Zoro looked away, a small, angry blush creeping across his face. He decidedly looked down, his black boots suddenly becoming very interesting.

"Come marimo-head, we don't want to be caught and eaten by something as ugly as you now do we!"

With a small muted, growling 'yes master' Zoro followed him, eyes still intent on his feet.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Sanji glowered up at the canopy of the forest as a resounding boom echoed down through it, signaling a heavy rain. He peered back at Zoro, hoping the shiver he had felt earlier wasn't the beginnings of a cold. If they were, the up coming rain would only worsen the other pirate's condition.

"Marimo! We should find shelter before this shit storm hits; we don't want to get caught in it. Unless you want a bath, which you desperately need!"

Sanji looked back, a little anxious at the swordsman's silence, "Zoro?"

The green haired man looked up, his cheeks a little pale, "Ohhh, you do care!"

Sanji glared, a little peeved at Zoro's obstinate and exasperating reply. He walked over and carefully grabbed the other man by the arm. "Come on, we need to find cover. You look pale."

Zoro complied and allowed Sanji to drag him to a small cave. The air smelled of moist dirt, a comforting change from the thick, moist air of the forest outside. The ground was soft with tepid, and dry earth. A thick rock ceiling thoroughly protected them from the outside rainstorm.

Sanji sat down, dragging the other man down with him. Their shoes scuffed the ground, the clatter echoing down the tunnel hundreds of times before fading out. Sanji grimaced, if there was anything that might want to eat them in the cavern it certainly knew they were there.

He shrugged of his over jacket and slipped it around the silent swordsman's shoulders. Zoro turned his head towards him, a questioning look on his face.

"Any reason you did that?"

Sanji smirked. "Yeah marimo-head, I like my meat warm when I eat it." Sanji snapped his jaws at the swordsman, teeth clacking loudly as they met mere inches from Zoro's nose.

He smiled at the dull look Zoro gave him. "What, can't think of a come back shit-head?"

Zoro rolled his eyes, "Yes I know, I heard you and Luffy at it last night, was his 'meat' warm enough for you?"

With a small smile Sanji lightly shoved the exhausted man.

"What eves… shut up and go to sleep. You're no use to me dead!"

Zoro laid back, propping his head on his hands.

"What-ever you say fairy boy."

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_Whoa, It's done… actually it's been done for a while…I'm just s slacker and haven't put it up… well you can read this version if you want. Chances are Ill get home, read it again, go slit my wrists, and then come back and do it over. Umm Chapter four will be up by tomorrow… so rejoice… Oh wait no it won't… I have play practice tonight… God I hate when Nat reigns me into things... Like dancing…_

_Oh and if you follow my sister's story "Scavenger Hunt" in Fruits basket, I'm doing the next chapter. Woot. I get to write about cute little rats dying, and finally locating the "Princess..."_

_So yeah, check it out._

_Tony_


	4. Island anger

_Wow it's a day late... sorry_

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Zoro woke to a rock sticking painfully into his back. With a groan he arched himself up and threw himself to his right side, smacking straight into Sanji's legs.

"Shit!" Sanji spat as he fell, trying desperately to keep himself up right. He lifted his left leg and swung it, trying to use it to keep his balance. Instead of helping him stay up right the appendage slammed into Zoro's ribs, sending the swordsman rolling across the cave floor, and the Chef falling to the ground. A soft moan escaped both as they lay there. Sanji holding his posterior and Zoro holding his ribs. He was positive Sanji had broken something.

With another set of simultaneous groans the two stood up, holding the smarting parts of their bodies. Zoro peeked at the Chef from the corner of his eye. The blond stood, leaning backwards his hands on the upper portions of his ass, a pained expression on his face. "Heh, did you get it hard last night?"

"Hardly, you were limp as shit!"

Zoro laughed and straightened his back, loud popping noises coming from his straightening spine. Grinned at the wince the sounds evoked from Sanji.

"Don't be such a pansy" he sassed, then turned to the mouth of the cave and walked out.

The sun shown brightly through the dense foliage, sending light glimmers shining off the drops of dew still clinging to the large leaves of the ground ferns. Birds warbled happily and the air was clean and fresh the smell of salt barley detectable on its gust. Zoro stepped onto the still damp earth, a loud squelching noise announcing he shouldn't have.

"Aww, shit! Come on!" He tugged on his leg, but the mud held his boot fast.

"Oh, should I have warned you about the mud?" Sanji smirked evilly

"Come on, don't be a pansy!" he walked past Zoro, dancing daintily around the mud pit.

"Yeah that's right, prance away like a little fairy!"

With an odd giggle Sanji disappeared into the forest, leaving only the bushes sway to let the swordsman know he had even been there.

Zoro sighed, he didn't want to, but it looked as though the only way out of the mud was by taking off his boots and leaving them. He cursed his slipshod departure from the cave. Had he been paying attention this wouldn't have happened.

He leaned down and unlaced his boots, the strings sticking together from all of the mud. At last he managed to pull himself free, his right foot sliding out of the leather shoe, and throwing him off balance. With a resounding plunk, Zoro landed in the mud.

"God… damn…this.place.to.HELL!!!"

He stood up angrily and tore his left foot free from the boot, then stomped off through the woods after Sanji.

Zoro plunged through the jungle, the trees slapping wildly at his bare skin leaving horrible red welts. "Sanji! You little bitch-fucker come here!" he bellowed, anger lancing through his words giving them an insensitive tone. He unsheathed the dead pirates blade and began to hack through the woods. Anger raced through his body, and he suddenly hated everything in his path. The blade cut through the small trees like they were butter, should the chef been in them it would have been no contest.

The blade swung down in a graceful arc and Zoro roared with it. The small Hibiscus tree he had swung at fell, thick strips of its fine, dry bark peeling away as it did. He stumbled on to the beach, a final branch tripping him so he crashed onto the course sand.

"Wow, you're graceful." Zoro looked up at the chef, anger fading away quickly, having been replaced by shock. Sanji stood nearly naked on the beach, his cloths in a neat pile next to him. Zoro's eyes flicked up and down the lithe frame, drinking in the smooth, pale curves of the cook's body.

"Your… naked…"

Sanji rolled his eyes, emitting a loud huff as he did.

"No Zoro. I am still wearing my boxers"

That was an understatement if Zoro ever heard one. Sanji's boxers resembled the tiny boy-short-underwear that Nami frequently wore. Which meant that they barely covered the cook's waist. The tight black material loosely clung to his hips, showing off his sex lines. The "boxers" ended about where they began, stopping just barley after Sanji's groin. Zoro looked away, he had never had much of an imagination, but those boxers didn't leave anything to it anyways.

"…What ever…" Zoro managed, his voice a barely audible squeak.

"Hah, sounds like you want me Shit-head. I knew your crack about me and Luffy was just a ploy to cover it up!"

With that Sanji ran to the water and threw himself in, arcing gracefully downwards to avoid the tide dragging him back in.

Zoro watched him disappear under the waves, finally allowing the intense red of his blush to show.

"Dammit… why am I acting like this? I've seen the damn cook naked before... its not like its new for me… but… Damn"

Zoro hid his face in his hands, scouring his mind for the cause of these new reactions to the other man.

He was snapped out of his trance a few moments later when he heard the Chef break the surface of the sea. Zoro looked up, eyes flicking despratly to see the other man. "OI!"

He turned to the source of the voice and saw Sanji, bobbing a little ways out.

" Start a campfire shit-head! I won't do everything!"

"Alright! I'm on it!"

With a limbed flip Zoro was on his feet. "All right. If I was a good plant for a fire where would I be?" with an angry huff he turned to the woods. "Right, in the fucking woods… I hate this place." He walked into the woods, angrily kicking plants out of the way. His boot caught the small tree he had cut earlier, tripping him. With a loud bang and a curse Zoro his the ground, swiftly turning to glare at the piece of wood. The little hibiscus tree lay there, its stillness seeming to mock the fallen swordsman. With an angry hiss he drew the dead-mans sword, and brought it swiftly down on the small piece of wood. Dry bits of bark hit his eyes, enraging him more. With a grunt he tore the sword out and brought it down again, but was stopped as Ussop's annoying voice echoed through his mind.

"_Ok, so. If any of us ever get stranded on a deserted island and desperately need a fire, we should always go for hibiscus trees. They are dry, and with the right amount of dried strips of the bark, you can make a sufficient blaze. Don't get discouraged if it doesn't work right away, it will take some time. Which reminds me of this one time that I was attacked by a sea monster and I washed up on shore and was stranded for days…"_

Zoro shook his head, ridding himself of the rest of Ussop's pointless tale. With a wicked grin he scooped the tree up, patting it with the tips of his fingers "Alright you damn little tree. I'm going to light you on fire…"

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Zoro had been working on lighting that damn tree for hours, and all he had gotten so far was some smoking coals. With a grunt he continued to mirthlessly grind a small, thick branch in the grove he had created in fat of the trunk.

"Come on LIGHT!" He screamed angrily, grinding the stick faster. Small plumes of smoke rose into the air, clouding his vision and searing his nostrils. With another quick shove the small bundle of tinder began to smoke, a tiny flame licking its way out of the bundle of dried grass and bark.

"YES!" Zoro roared, his stomach alight with excitement. Then he felt it, the telltale tickle of a bead of sweat dripping down his nose.

"Oh, nononono. No, Please!"

With a small sizzle the drop landed on his tiny flame, effectively extinguishing it.

"GOD DAMNIT!!"

He fell backwards, a small groan of defeat passing through his lips. Zoro rolled over, clenching his lips shut and screamed. The muffled sound was high and hurt his ears, but in his current anger he was fine with the "Girly" shriek.

After a moments pause he sat back up, determined to beat this fire making business down. He would win, after all he was Rorona Zoro. He worked fervently, willing the tinder to light. At last it began to, but at the same time, the sweat began to slide down again.

"Nonononononon" He pleaded, but the drop didn't cease its decent.

As if in slow motion he saw it fall, he closed his eyes, waiting for the small sizzle that would announce his defeat.

It never came.

"Thanks for the fire shit-swordsman." Zoro looked over at the aggravating chef, irritated and relived at the mans interference with his fire building.

"Nice catch…"

Sanji stared at him for a moment, "Yeaaah, see I don't consider stopping your sickening _juices _a "good catch"

Zoro rolled his eyes.

"What ever…"

Sanji walked away, a line of three fish over his shoulder.

'That fire had better be done when I get back Damnit, or no food for you."

With a sigh the swordsman continued his obliteration of the poor dead little tree. 

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_I know a shity place to stop, but I have homework to finish… umm yeah lets see for all of you searching for the porns, it won't be here for another few chapters. Love doesn't just magically appear, and neither one like each other according to me soo yeah…_

_To: __Zo-zemonkeySan, _

_Yeah it was a joke, I hope I explained that in this chapter… I like the SonjiXZoro pairing more than the LuffyX… well anyone really… and I am a guy, so I don't have a uterus yeah.. So no matter how much I want your babies, I cant have them…. Damn._

_No I am not gay… Don't know why that maters… why am I writing slash? I don't know really… It wasn't to begin with_


	5. Water, fire, and earth Man has evolved

_As always to meh friendly reviewers! (yeah I have reviewers so THERE!! Oh and you people that put alerts for chapters, and have my story favorited.. don't think I don't realize that you aren't reviewing.., I notice your...not...niceness… Oh well at least I know you like it… I think you like it..)_

_MYWHOLEFAMILYISDEAD- Thank you. I liked killing the tree. Look for its reappearances._

_Zo-Zemonkeysan- Yay, fangirl scene. I hope I can do another one like it. It was base loosely off of one of my female friends rants about how sexy he is. I guess I will have to have her talk about some thing else to get it just right!_

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Approximately thirty minutes after Sanji's "sweat save", Zoro stood back admiring his handiwork. The newly made fire blazed merrily, warming the already blistering island air. Zoro smiled at the tiny piece of tree that was left of the once proud sapling. Most of the small tree had gone into the fire, all that remained was a small piece of sharp charred wood, about the size of a hunting knife.

With a sigh of self-satisfaction the swordsman squatted down, and poked the fire with a long branch he had found. It crackled angrily at him, spitting small, hot pieces of ash at him. The unfortunate youth yelped in pain as a sizeable piece leaped out, kamikaze style, and landed on the exposed flesh of his arm. With a loud howl he threw himself backwards, scrambling across the sand in an attempt to put the small flame out.

"Damnit! Why does everything hate me here?"

He looked around suddenly aware that Sanji could be watching him, laughing at the very un-Zoro-like reaction to the tiny flame's attack. He scanned the surrounding areas, trying to see the smug look that would inevitably be on the chef's stupid face. Listening to the pompous laugh and ridiculing comment that was sure to accompany said look.

_Stupid? I think that he has a very nice face… and ass…. Defiantly a nice ass!_

Zoro couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at his thoughts. Since when did he have a separate entity in his head? Since when had he thought the cook had a nice ass?

"Huh… maybe it started when you saw him wearing low cut… revealing... sexy…-"

Smack 

-The loud sound of Zoro's own hand striking his face broke through his sentence.

"Ok... that's enough of that kind of thinking… you've been on this island too long… your becoming delusional. Your-"

-"Also becoming slightly insane"

Zoro looked up. Sanji stood across from him on the other side of the fire. Three fish, four large leaves, and eight large rocks perched precariously on his arms, all looking as if they were about to drop, much like everything the cook carried waiter-style on his arms.

"What's all that for?"

Sanji stared at him as if he had suddenly sprouted wins and was singing a song off key and in another language.

"Its for dinner shit-tard…"

Zoro looked down, glared, then looked back up.

"What do you need all that crap for?'

"Fish to eat, Tea-Tree leaves to wrap and give flavor, and the rocks we heat up on the fire and then steam the fish with."

"Why not a spit?"

" I don't want burned fish… besides, then they'd only taste like fish, I know you uncivilized types don't get it but flavor is **everything**."

Sanji set the items down gently, tossing the rocks haphazardly into the fire, and setting the fish on the tea-tree leaves.

Zoro rolled his eyes, shaking his head slightly at the cook's words.

"Whatever. Is there anything I can do to… you know… h-h-heeelp" he played with the last word, saying it as if he were gagging.

He was rewarded with a smarting kick to the head.

"Yeah you can, One: Never ever talk again. Two: go get some coconuts to drink."

Zoro stared at him in horror. His still aching body reminding him of his new greatest enemy: the coconut tree.

"I.will.never.climb. He growled angrily. Indeed, if he had the chance, he was positive that even if it meant a quick ride to becoming the greatest swordsman on the Grand Line, he still wouldn't do it.

Sanji stared at him again, the same expression as when Zoro had asked about all of the items he had carried back.

"whhhy?" he queried, voice dripping with sarcasm, and over annunciating the "hi" sound in the middle.

"Lets just say I already tried the Lets-survive-off-of-coconut-milk approach. My balls didn't like it."  
"umm, girls don't have balls Zoro."

Zoro glared at the now snide Sanji. With a shake of his head he stood, legs creaking in protest. Then turned and smiled at the chef, beginning to lean back with his upper body as he did.

"Don't you do it Marimo head. I will kick you so hard in the nuts that your balls will be happy for the gentle touch of a coconut tree."

**Pop…popopopop!**

Sanji flinched, cringing away and shaking his head in disgust at the noises that were issued from the swordsman's back. In the split second he had before the cook attacked him, Zoro made his escape.

"That's it! This kick is SO going to ruin your ability to create babies!"

Zoro heard the enraged chef begin chasing him, clearly catching up. His long, lean legs were much better suited for pursuing then Zoro's muscled laden ones. Though both men were strong, Sanji was defiantly stronger in the leg department, meaning there was no way to out run him.

Knowing that if his nuts were to survive he would have to flee, Zoro began a desperate search for a way out of his predicament. With a quick swoop he raced to the side, hoping the trees would provide adequate cover from the wrath of the other man, at least in the trees Sanji would have a hell of a time kicking him!

Zoro's heart raced, his lungs screaming for air as he laughed and ran at the same time. Lush green foliage smacked his body leaving stinging imprints as he passed them. Leaves crunched noisily under his feet, cushioning them from most of the pain the ground would normaly bring. Small pieces of wood snapped under his arches and easily broke the delicate flesh. From the curses flying from the cook behind him, Zoro knew that Sanji wasn't having anymore luck than he was at maneuvering.

His feet padded loudly as he continued his escape from the fuming man, the thunderous impact on the ground in a perfect sync with his beating heart.

Zoro closed his eyes counting out measures, and listening for how much of a lead he had based on Sanji's voice.

Thump-thump-thump-thump

Over the sound of his feet he could hear Sanji's proclamations of unhappiness at the jungle terrain, and treats of death to Zoro's nether regions. He was Five… no ten yards behind him.

Thump-thump-thu…

Suddenly the regular rhythm of Zoro's steps ended as his foot failed to hit solid ground. His eyes flew open in time to see a small stream rise up to his face-

-And suddenly he was drenched, the cool fresh water washing over him.

Water roared in his hears as his head was submerged a good two feet into the water. With out surfacing, Zoro opened his mouth, sucking in water as quickly as he could. Never before had the liquid been so sweet and welcomed. He opened his eyes again, having closed them just as he hit the water, and was quickly completely and utterly astounded by the crystal clear properties of the flowing stream. No algae or other unattractive water dwelling things that meant bad water could be seen. Small crawfish like creatures swam around, securing his thoughts that the water was pure. If those things could live there, then he could certainly drink from this stream. Best of all, he wouldn't have to climb up another coconut tree.

He was torn out of his admiration of the new hydration source as fingers wove themselves into his hair and roughly yank him out of the water.

"Oh God Zoro, please be breathing… please be-"

The still half naked cook stared down at Zoro's open eyes, all hysteria quickly replaced by embracement. Then just as quickly, that was replaced by anger.

Zoro wheezed as the blond brought his knee down hard on his gut, effectively winding him. He desperately tried to suck in air; struggling to feed his oxygen deprived lungs.

"Why would you do that marimo-head!? I thought you had drowned in this Shit-tiny stream! And then I would have blamed myself because I was chasing you, then I would forever think that it was my fault that you were dead and I would never have lived it down and I would probably be stuck on his island with no one here so I would go crazy and then if anyone ever found me I would be crazy…"

The cook continued, never pausing for breath, and as he did Zoro could only one thing.

Wow… If I needed as little air as him… then I would probably be fine right now… 

He pondered the relevance of the thought as Sanji continued his never-ending chain of events that would have happened if Zoro was dead.

He was pacing, taking random steps to anywhere. Walking back and forth, in circles, diagonally, and occasionally stepping over the still sprawled out swordsman.

Zoro felt his eyes home in on the blond's lithe, sexy waist. His boxers had slid down during the chase, and now hung even lower than before. On top of that, in the occasional passes he made over the lime-haired man, he had to stretch his legs further, and usually right over Zoro's head. Allowing for some very nice shots on the swordsman's part.

Zoro suddenly shook his head. There were those weird thoughts again. The notions that belonged in a teenaged girl's dreams, not his present state-of-mind.

"Yo, dip-ass. Stop walking over me, I don't want to have to look at your junk."

Zoro snapped, hoping that keeping the cooks occasional flashings away that the thoughts would go away.

Sanji stared at him, a narrowed-eyed and slightly intimidating look on his face.

"Fine. I guess my cares were misplaced. Well jack-ass I guess you can take care of yourself then. Guess Ill just go on my way. You obviously don't need me."

With that Sanji turned and stalked away, shoulders hunched in an unexplainable rage. Shock over ran Zoro's system. How could one playful sentence have set the cook off like that?

Maybe he was really worried about you 

"Shit…"

Zoro got up, hoping he could catch the cook before it was to late.

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I don't remember if I am updating slowly or quickly… Hmm… when did I last post... dear God I am losing my ability to tell time… I sit on my computer to much... but the ground is still wet so we can't do much…

Ok as always R&R. Oh and I found out why I am writing slash. Its all my sisters fault... Damn her and her Yaoi ways… anyways, speaking of my sister I am going to go run around with her and Joe. It's a nice day out, and we have 100 acres of woods (HAH!) to go play on. Yeah and the snow just barely melted, so I have to go climb our big aspen. That thing is huge… uhhmmm anyways…. Yeah... tell me what I can fix… and Ill try and get this next chapter done this weekend. But don't get your hopes up. Does anyone read this? Well you shouldn't its pretty pointless.

Oh yeah and I did the math

851 hits… 9 reviews… doesn't really add up… hmm... maybe I am just bad at math… I do have a B….

Dear God I think my dad is watching High School Musical…


	6. Fish n' love

Ok damn you guys for reviewing… here was me all "heheying" thinkin' that I would hold out on you and not post again for a while. But NOOOO you're all like I'm addicted, and Update soon…. So of course I oblige… I hate you all! Nagh… my house is cold…

_Devlinn Reiko-sama__- thanks, I was kinda afraid that I sucked so bad that you had stopped reading!_

_Zo-Zemonkeysan__- Wow its sad, I've typed your name so many times I have it memorized! Yeah High School Musical. Only thing I can say is… Oh Em Gee. We went to Disney World in February, and they had "PEP Rallies" It was so weird… And I have had the stupid "status quo" song stuck in my head since Nat started singing it when I told her dad was watching... that was like… five days ago…_

_MYWHOLEFAMIlYIS DEAD__- Yeh, I updated…son… word… _

_Lelathesa__- Its all good man, I know that whole teachers breathing down the neck thing. I'm taking an online course, and every five minutes my overlord (teacher) is like "TONY WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!! THAT ISNT CONSUMER LAW!!!" And it always is…not… its usually word… or games… or comics… or FF… or anything but CL…_

_Kolohesanj- __Yessss! I'm glade you think its funny. I try really hard on getting humorous material. The palm tree thing happened to me once. I couldn't walk right for like… a week… and the peee… It was a hunting trip one of my friends forced me to go on, and he didn't let me move for 12 hours. I had to pee SO bad… I cant even imagine three days…_

_OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_

Zoro trekked through the woods slowly, running different apologies through his head, trying to find the best one. He wasn't very good at saying he was sorry. There had never really been a need for him too say the words. All his life the people he lived with could put up with his crap, and never wanted him to change his uncouth ways. Even the cook had been fine with it. Until today apparently.

The odd reaction was a mystery to Zoro. Last he had checked the two had always done things that way. Zoro would say something witty and Sanji would come up with a biting retort. Never once had they gotten mad, well they had, but that had just spurred on more verbal warfare. Maybe when faced with the death of a friend the cook went all macho-serious, he wouldn't be the only one – Luffy did it all the time, but this was defiantly his first flip-out on the bewildered swordsman.

His hike back seemed to drag, yet shoot by. The way was clear-cut from their escapades earlier that day, so retracing the route to the camp wasn't hard at all. Zoro almost wished it was so he could have more time to think of an eloquent apology.

"Sanji, I don't have any- no that sucks… Sanji, I really wanted to- no that sucks too... Damn this is going to be harder than I thought…"

With a noisy sigh Zoro stopped walking. He needed more time for this apology, the walk back wasn't going to be enough.

_But what if he gets madder because you don't get there quickly… What if he never speaks to you again and then no one comes for years. Then your stuck with a pissed off cook on an island for years… Oh wait, it would be just like on the ship except on an- NO! Don't make jokes this is serious!_

Zoro shook his head, ridding his mind of the ridiculous thoughts. He had to get this apology right the first time. If he didn't this was going to be a very long and lonely excursion.

He stopped just short of the camp, still hidden by thick foliage. If he could calculate Sanji's current mood, maybe he could time his reentry in to camp perfectly. If Sanji was happy then there was no need for an apology.

_Good, you have the perfect plan. Now just wait and follow through with it!_

He settled down into a nook in a large vine enclosed tree. It was comfortable enough to sit, yet painful enough to not fall asleep. He had to be vigilant if he wanted to make it back with out an apology.

He watched as the pale man wandered around their makeshift camp. Sanji was clothed again, though it looked as if his suit was annoying him. It probably was, he had been wandering around with his body exposed. There was no doubt in Zoro's mind that he was going to be redder than the meat he always prepared for Luffy! In his experience those that were lighter always ended up looking like lobsters if they weren't careful in the sun. He wondered if it hurt –he had always been kind of dark skinned, so he didn't really have the opportunity to get badly-

Zoro snapped himself back out of the random train of thought. He had to make sure the timing was perfect. He didn't want to give that apology. He forced his gaze to settle back on the cook.

Sanji pick up the small chunk of hibiscus left and began plowing the sandy beach with it. After a few minutes he had made a fairly deep hole, deep enough to hide his arm up to the elbow at least. He tossed the small shard of wood aside and walked back to the fire, picking up Zoro's original fire prodding stick as he did.

With a few probing pokes Sanji shifted the contents of the fire around, revealing the rocks he had thrown in earlier. He took a step back then smashed the stick across the side of the rock, rolling it into the small hole. He repeated the process on the others. Until they all sat in the small hole.

The cook walked back to the fish-it looked as though he had already cleaned them, and picked them up. He sat down infront of the small pile of tea-tree leaves and began to slowly (And tediously) wrap the glimmering fish in the large leaves.

Zoro felt his eyelids droop. The Cook was certainly going out of his way to make this as boring as possible. With a sigh Zoro's head dropped back onto the tree. It was suddenly very appealing, all discomfort it had caused slipping away as the swordsman decided that making up with Sanji wasn't nearly as important as sleep.

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"Hey"

Zoro opened his eyes slowly, everything in his line of sight fuzzy. He had an angry hum in his head, the kind of hum that only came when he had forgotten something important. His view slowly swam into focus, revealing that it was dark out. It had been around four when he had fallen asleep… What had he been doing?

Zoro looked up at the source of the voice. Blue eyes, the usual tuft of blond hair over the left eye….

As if it were Luffy punching him in the face, the realization of what he had been doing smacked Zoro into full wakefulness. He had fallen asleep and missed his entrance que. He had failed in his goal of not having to give an apology.

Zoro suddenly realized Sanji was waving a hand in front of his face, obviously trying to get his attention. The long appendages sent small blasts of air at him, cooling his embarrassment-flushed face.

Zoro looked down, trying to remember his apology.

_Sanji, Im sorry I- no that wasn't it… Sanji I know what I did- no damnit_

"I'm sorry"

Zoro looked up, surprised at the soft murmur of Sanji's voice.

"Wait did you just…?"

"Yes I apologized because I knew one of us had to be man enough to do it, and I knew you wouldn't because you are the furthest thing from a man."

Zoro opened his mouth to protest but found it was shoved full of fish before he could.

"Even if you are a pansy you still need food. Eat, it just got finished."

The fish was fairly bland, most of the tea-tree taste had been steamed away in the cooking process -or so Zoro assumed. But it was crunchy and warm, and was defiantly better than that coconut he had had the day before.

Zoro stopped eating, and looked at his only companion.

"Sanji... how long have we been here?"

" A little over three days."

Zoro looked down, and resumed eating. The crunch of his morsel seemed to be too loud in the silence that hung between them.

The both knew the other was thinking the same question. There was no way not to now that they knew how long they had been there.

_Did the others survive?_

Zoro looked at Sanji, trying to convey his emotions through his eyes.

"They're fine. The Merry go is a good, firm ship. I'm sure she kept them all safe and sound. Watch, in a few days they will come sailing out of that horizon and rescue our pathetic asses."

He made his words sound confident, more confident that he actually felt on the matter. Sanji smiled, but Zoro knew he wasn't fooled by the words. They both knew that their chances of being rescued were slim to none.

"Pathetic asses? You mean pathetic ass. There is NOTHING pathetic about this!" To emphasize his point the chef smacked his left side of his ass, creating a loud cracking noise on impact. Zoro couldn't help but laugh. His stomach heaved with mirth. It really want that funny, he was sure of that, but all of the stress that they had been under deemed it necessary to laugh at nothing. He felt Sanji watch him aloofly for an infinitesimal amount of time before bursting out into a bout of hysterical laughter of his own.

They laughed for a while, rolling around, gasping for air. Zoro was sure that both must have resembled dying anomalous fish stuck on a beach. The image of himself and Sanji as fish only made him laugh harder. His mind went blank after that, his intier brain working towards one single goal:

_Breath in, breath out, breath in-_

The duo's laughter slowly faded, dying off until only the occasionally empty woosh of air escaped them.

"I just realized something Zoro."

Zoro looked over at the blond a quizzical expression on his face.

"We've been here for three day, and I don't think I have peed once…"

It was true for Zoro as well. He really couldn't think of when he had last taken a good piss, and now that it had been brought to his attention, he realized he really had to go.

"Hmm, me neither. But I think if I don't take one now I am going to give my legs a shower that they really don't want!"

Sanji chuckled and stood quickly, hands reaching down for his zipper as he did. Zoro followed in suit, realizing that his bladder really needed some release, and if it didn't get it soon his legs really were going to get an unwanted bath.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Zoro didn't think he had ever taken a piss that long before in his life. It defiantly held the record for being the king of the: The Pee That Would Not End. He shook his head slowly. He was sure it had taken him more than three minutes to empty his bowels. But hey, he wasn't complaining. He hadn't really noticed in all of the confusion how badly strained they were. He also never realized that taking a pee could feel so good.

He shook his head again.

_You really are starting to appreciate the little things in life. You've been thinking about a piss for about as long as it took you to take it!_

He walked back into the camp and sat down by the chef. The air had cooled considerably, enough to make the swordsman shiver slightly.

"You know, that is the second time I have seen you shiver in two days. I hope you didn't get a cold from being out in the ocean for so long."

"You know you haven't called me Marimo-head in about eight hours."

Sanji turned and glared at him, but Zoro got the feeling that it was more than just a little annoyance at his comment. It was almost as if…

_The only other time I have seen that look is when Nami tried to tell Luffy that she loved his… and he thought that she meant like… no way. This is Sanji we're talking about here. Not Nami…_

Zoro blinked at Sanji. His thought process had taken all of a 50th of a second, so the cook was still glaring at him with the agitated expression.

"Sorry… No I haven't got a cold I think I would know if I did."

He paused, feeling his face become hot with embarrassment. He wasn't sure why he felt this way, but he did. Even the small act of telling the cook _Thanks for caring_ seemed to hard to say. AS if any slip up in his harsh attitude would allow the chef a glimpse into his very soul. A glimpse into his feelings.

"T-thanks for asking though…"

Zoro winced, hoping the cook had missed the slip up and words. He could feel Sanji's eyes running over him. Suddenly his cloths were to tight, the night was to hot, and the place he was at, wasn't the place he wanted to be at all. In fact, Zoro didn't think he had ever been more embarrassed. Not even when Kuina had beaten him for the first time.

"Well, you know, if we're going to live through this we have to be there for each other. Look out for one another."

Zoro became ridged as he felt Sanji's hand ghost over his.

_Dear God he is touching my hand..!_

Warmth shot through Zoro's body, staring at the sight of contact. It felt like an uncoordinated crocodile wearing tap shoes was trying to dance to the song No strings attached by N'sync inside of his stomach. It really wasn't a pleasant sensation but, at the same time it was. It was unexplainable really. Something Zoro had never felt before. He knew he had felt something like it for Kuina, but it hadn't been so strong, so violent, so….

_Wild, Passionate…_

Then all of a sudden it was over as the chef moved his hand away, moving it to rest on one pinstriped clad leg.

Zoro stared straight ahead. Every nerve in his body screamed for him to make some move towards Sanji. Slide a hand around his shoulder. Touch or grab his hand; just let him know that he had felt the gesture. Let him know that he felt the same way.

_Same way about what? It was a friendly gesture. There was nothing sexual or romantic about it!_

Zoro looked down, and opted for the only other thing he could think of.

"Sanji…?"

"mmm?"

"I'm glade that I'm stuck here with you, rather than someone else."

"Me too Zoro."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Its weird how easily this story is coming to me… wow, most things I write have to be roped and wrangled from my head. Woot for ideas I like. If you keep giving me love I will probably never stop writing. I just realized how many times I have updated for this story.. and how quickly! It makes me so happy…

Finally finished the chapter. Sorry this weekend was hectic. We had the play ( it was SO bad) My allergies got so bad I couldn't keep my eyes open., and I hit my head on my sisters and got the worst bruise on my temple. It keeps giving me headaches. I have the worst luck ever! Ok Ill update as soon as possible…Ciao

Tony


	7. a quick announcement

Hello this is Nataeia. I know I have absolutely nothing to do with this story, but my dear sweet little brother managed to be stupid and fall off one of the big ass trees in our back yard. We just went to the doctors this morning, and discovered he had a fractured spine. If anyone has talked to him in the last couple of days he probably sounded really weird because he was in an immense amount of pain. So, the whole point of this tirade is, this story probably won't be updated for a while cause he is either feeling like crap cause he's in pain, or completely out of it because of his meds. He is on Vikoden. Heheh funny story…

Our sister Nicci took us to the doctor to see what the heck was wrong with him, and on the way back (Right after he got on the medication) he grabbed her huge (and ugly) movie star glasses and her scarf (it was ugly) and said, "These are so FAB!" It was hilarious. It was pretty funny when he fell out of the tree too!

So he got all the way to the top of a like 12 foot aspen and with out thinking raised his hands in victory… which of course made him let go of the tree… and then he fell… BUT on the way down he slammed into a branch in the middle of his back, which caused him to spin around. Then he, like, I don't know how to describe it, did this cool spiny thing and landed on his hands and knees! It was awesome. Except he thought he was fine and didn't say anything about pain until yesterday night when we were wrestling and I pinned him.

Heh, here are some random and amusing drug induced quotes to tide you over until he can write again.

Me- "are you cold?"

Tony-"OKEI DOOOKIE!"

(He NEVER says okei dokie…ever)

Nicci, our sister is a drama queen. She prides herself in being fashionable, and she wears everything that is in. Besides that, everyone knows you never tell a girl if that dress makes her look fat.

"Tony, isn't this skirt amazing!?"

Tony- "Maaaaeeebe on its own… but not on you..."

Ok it was a really weird story he was going off on, about a sailor trapped in a submarine, and he kept sending out messages for more potato chips, and I asked,

"OK if he can send out messages, why doesn't he just call for help?"

"Because he likes POTATOES!!"

Ok, and that is all of the funny stories that I have for now… but ya…Wish him a quick recovery!


	8. Gnats, hookers, and island paradise

The night passed by swiftly; It seemed to Zoro that he had barley closed his eyes before the islands exotic, and obnoxious, birds began their deafening shrieks of morning greetings to each other.

That wasn't to say that he was entirely put off by being woken up. No, it was more like the birds were his saviors. The blond cook had plagued his dream. Strange and unusual thoughts had run rampant. The most vivid:

The ministrations he had received from the cook.

Zoro shivered and closed his eyes, his fingers unconsciously slid over his neck and up to his jaw line as if trying to act out the dream in real life.

_The dream, _Zoro thought,_ that dream was….._

_Zoro growled as arms locked around his waist, his hands darted for his swords reflexes and instincts immediately kicking in._

"_Don't, it's just me."_

"_S-san-?"_

_Zoro's query died off as Sanji's breath danced across his neck. The heat of his mouth was intoxicating, and Zoro felt his knees give-out slightly at the warmth. Sanji's nose gently brushed the back of his neck as the chef's lips lightly ran across the exposed skin._

_Zoro's eyes locked shut and his lips pursed in an attempt to keep the inevitable noises from escaping him. Whatever the cook was trying to get him to do, he wouldn't give in._

"_What's wrong Zoro, Hiding behind that tough exterior of yours? Don't you want to… let me in?"_

_Emphasizing his comment, Sanji's right hand dipped down, his fingers sneaking under the band of Zoro's pants. With a small gasp Zoro wrapped his hand around the slender wrist, halting its snaking progress._

"_N-no, we're on the deck!"_

_His comment was rewarded by a small chuckle, and Sanji lightly kissed the connecting point between Zoro's neck and shoulder. His hand slid out of the swordsman's grasp and up to his shirt, which he quickly untucked and slid his hand under._

_Zoro felt overwhelmed, every move he made to stop the cook only opened up another move for him to make. His hands fell limply to his sides as he realized, he really didn't want to stop the treatment._

_Sanji's tongue slid up Zoro's neck, only pausing to allow his mouth to suckle at the swordsman's ear. Zoro gasped as Sanji's hand slid farther up his shirt and his fingers brushed across his chest._

"_For all your resistance, you seem to want this a lot, Marimo head"_

_Zoro growled, pulling away from the blond. So that was the ruse, he wanted the make him look like a fool. Twisting around to confront his foe-of-sorts, Zoro snarled angrily._

" _Fuc-"_

_Zoro couldn't finish his insult, Sanji quelled all attempts by pressing himself against Zoro's body and pressing their lips together so roughly Zoro could taste blood. Though he found himself in a state uncaring towards the biting pain of his newly split lip. _

Zoro clenched his eyes shut, trying to ignore the shivers racing up his spin. There was no way in hell that he could feel this way about…_Sanji…._

"Alright time to get up. Laying here is obviously warping your brain."

Zoro shook the remaining strands of his dream from his head. He rolled onto his side, feeling a small amount sand particles drop to the ground. With a small groan he pushed himself to his feet and ran his hands over his back to remove the large clusters of still clinging sand.

_God… what a day! It's barely eight in the morning and already it's hotter than hell out. _

With a small groan of dismay Zoro began his slow trek down the beach, wishing he still had his boots, the sand was much to hot to be wandering bare foot. Sanji was long gone from the looks of things. It wasn't much of a shock though. The cook always seemed to be awake about _ten years_ before anyone else.

With a shake of his head to clear the cook from his mind the swordsman continued his slow saunter down the beach, feet sinking deeply into the ever-shifting sand. The golden droplets never ceased their movement. Zoro found it more and more difficult to continue his pace down the beach, and the sand stole all the energy he had. With in a few moments his thighs burned, forcing him to realize he didn't work out as well as he thought.

He sat down, the sand crunching audibly beneath him. It settled slowly and left him a semi-comfortable position.

_Huh… that's weird. It's almost like I can't sit down and be comfortable with out that damn Chef somewhere near by…_

He let his mind wander, but kept his ear and eyes wide open. It didn't matter where he was; he still needed to keep himself protected. This island, he was sure, had too many hidden dangers. Many of which could hurt both of them.

He stood again the heat of the sun to much to bear in the open. As he walked he could hear the screams of seagulls off the coast, and his heart ached for the cool sea breeze and shady under deck of Merry Go. No matter what Zoro said, he knew he missed the rest of the crew. Hell he missed other people in general. Sure it was nice to be stuck here with Sanji. But nothing would come of it. Sanji was, well Sanji; The straightest strait man that would ever walk the earth.

_He's so straight it's a wonder the world is still round!_

Zoro felt the laughter his crack had induced die in his throat.

"Wow… I made myself sad…"

He shook his head, thinking of his newly acquired tastes in other men wasn't helping him right now. Small droplets of sweat slid down his face, stirred by the suddenly violent shakes of his head. With the heat, it was not a good idea to be on the beach in the sun.

"Dear God I have got to get out of the sun before I end up crispy fried like those fish last night."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Zoro had never been more physically uncomfortable in his life. In his haste to leave the sun, he had decided the forest would be a good place to hide. Unfortunately for the swordsman, every possible thing seemed to go wrong for him. But then again, he should have been used to it, that was all that seemed to happen to him on this island.

Insects attacked him, and he discovered that the humidity was worse that the sun. Small gnats circled his head and smashed into his face, often getting caught in his eyes. It seemed the small bugs had so little control over their ability to fly that they were drunker than Zoro got on nights that Sanji allowed him to raid the kitchen.

_Dear God… I swear Islands were created to torment people…_

Another pesky gnat smashed into his head, and Zoro swore he could hear it screaming bloody murder as it did. He snickered softy at the image of a gnat, a ships wheel in its tiny hands, careening out of control towards him eyes wide with terror.

With a shake of his head and a few random chuckles Zoro continued through the woods, feeling pretty happy on his own for the first time since getting stranded on the island. He smiled as a small animal ran across the path he was on, he leaned forward to observe its interesting fur pattern and-

-and stepped on a fallen branch, causing the rest of it to swing up and smash into his lowered face.

"What the hell! I hate this place!"

With a huff and an unidentifiable noise Zoro shot off through the trees, trying to find some sort of protected place to hide from the tiny pests.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sanji sat on the beach, reveling in the warm sand between his toes. His jacket sat at his side, along with his pants, shoes, shirt, tie, and every other article of clothing her felt he could afford to take off.

_Mmm, by the time marimo come back I'll look as red as the lobster I'm making for lunch._

Sanji let his eyes flick to the steel pot he had over the fire. The pots discovery real was one mystery, that, although he was curious to find out its origin, Sanji didn't feel like he wanted to know the answer too.

"Watch, it belonged to a tribe of man eaters, and is used to boil… I don't know, Eyes"

Sanji chuckled to himself at the ridiculous thought. Man eaters. As if those guy existed!

With a sigh the cook pushed himself to his feet. Obviously the incompetent moron wasn't going to make it back anytime soon. Leave it to that imbecile to make him start lunch only to never show up. With another sigh the Chef wandered towards to wood, vaguely wondering why he was so irritated at the swordsman.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Zoro stood back, hands on his hips admiring the small lean-to like shelter he had erected in the few hours he had been on his rampage for solitude. Sure, it wouldn't keep the bugs completely away but at least they wouldn't have the time to wined up their kamikaze attacks.

"Now, what to christen this humble abode..?"

"How about the "Fortress of Solitude", since that seems to be what its putting me in."

Zoro turned around lazily. The cook hadn't scared him, in fact, he could hear him coming for quite some time before he'd said anything. Anything directly aimed at the swordsman, though Zoro was sure that some of the death threats were aimed at him.

"What do you mean?"

"Well you've been working on this thing all damn day, so I've been all-fucking-alone."

With a huff Zoro rolled his eyes. That was all he needed now, the estranged dreams prime occupant. At the thought of his dream Zoro felt his face flush, memories swirled back, drowning him in the invigorating sensation that left his body floating.

_Just like the feeling I got when I saw him in the kitchen…_

"-ut you weren't there so I over cooked the- and you're not even paying attention… I just became a hooker, got an abortion, and did crack while I was pregnant."

Zoro stared at the now infuriated blond. Small tendrils of fine light hair clung to his forehead, small beads of sweat gently sliding past them. The foliage over head was parted so perfectly that he seemed to shine. Which, considering how much he was sweating, didn't surprise Zoro.

He let the odd thought go as his eyes traveled down the cook's body. A perfectly sculpted stomach, looking as if an artist had chiseled him to life, small knicks dabbing across his hands from cooking accidents, the way his chest steadily began to heave faster at the knowledge that Zoro was defiantly NOT paying attention to him-

"PAY ATTENTION TO ME DAMNIT!"

Zoro's eyes snapped back to Sanji's face, embarrassment lining his features. Sanji had just caught him blatantly staring at him.

_Recovery! Make a good comeback!_

"Your chest is burned.."

Zoro felt his face begin to burn as the realization that Sanji had said nothing about his staring set in.

"Why… did you notice this?"

Anger laced the undertones of the chef's voice. Zoro was sure his face was similar to a tomato by now, or maybe as red as the large quantities of meat Luffy consumed. With out knowing why he did it Zoro began to laugh. It wasn't as if the thought had been particularly amusing; it just seemed as though the only option he had right now was to laugh his ass off.

The laugh had to be the icing on the cake.

It came out a harsh squeak, the kind associated with severe embarrassment. If Sanji hadn't already figured it out, now he had to know.

"What are you hiding Marimo?"

Sanji's voice was as sharp as his favorite cooking knife. Despite the anger laced into the inquiry, Zoro couldn't help but continue the tirade of laughter.

"I-I'm sorry"

Zoro fell to his knees, stomach cramping from the onslaught of laughter.

"You had better stop while you're ahead Marimo..."

Zoro managed to look up at the cook, and to his surprise found him smiling down at him. Zoro suddenly couldn't remember if the cook's smile had always been so amazing. The way Sanji's face light up, how the corners of his eyes crinkled.

And with out warning, with out pausing to think of the consequences, Zoro launched himself to his feet. With a swift movement he wrapped one arm around the cook's waist, pinning his left at his side as he did. Whipping his left hand into the air he caught the cook's right arm by the wrist effectively incapacitating his upper half.

"Zoro, what the hell-"

With a last effort Zoro flung his head forward, smashing his lips into Sanji's in the most poorly executed kiss ever.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Woo cliffy. What will Sanji do?


	9. a turn in the winds

The sea rocked gently, waves slapping the thick oaken hull. Seagulls cried angrily overhead, shrill calls slicing the calm of the sunny, summer afternoon. Light radiated off the polished wood deck, furthering the allusion that he was alone. With a sigh the young man turned towards the sea again, eyes scanning the light waters for his missing comrades. There wasn't much hope that he would find them, the storm that had swept them overboard had happened a week before. But though dead men told no tales, corpses did float….

With a shudder the man turned away from the water, mind throwing gruesome images of his bloated dead friends into his head. Their white, seagull-desecrated corpses floating face down through the ceaseless waves-

And he couldn't take it. With a shake of his head, throwing his curled brown locks into a jumble, he stumbled away form the ships edge, heart hammering in his throat. With desperation he started to walk, footsteps thumping loudly, louder then they had ever been.

With out the constant bickering of the missing chef, and swordsman, the ships noise had dropped tenfold. He had always thought he would never miss the chef, had he been thrown overboard, but instead of joy at the other's probable death, sadness squeezed his chest.

Frantically, dark heavily eye lashed eyes scanned the deck, searching for any one of his other companions. They locked on to the prow; the normally solitary figurehead was accompanied by another human shaped silhouette. With jittering foot falls he made his way over, the sun's heat failing to warm his body. At the sound of his steps, the man's form turned, revealing a face that, though young, held grievances of a man twice his age.

No one, he thought, should have this weight of another's death on their conscience.

He climbed atop the figurehead, dutifully sitting beside his captain and friend. The other man looked forward, brown eyes ceaselessly scanning the rolling waves. They sat in silence, guilt eating away at his soul.

"They are gone, aren't the Ussop?"

At the sudden sound of another's voice, Ussop turned his head towards his captain.

"No…. I-I'm sure they'll show up captain."

His own voice was foreign, like a parrots scream mile away from any jungle. The words that were rasped out sounded like a lie to him, he knew that the other pesemistic feelings behind them.

"I just….If there was an island… I know they would have made it. Maybe," he paused, eyebrows furrowed in thought, "Maybe if I was a better captain, they would still be alive."

Ussop glared. This tragedy was not his captain's fault. They all knew the risks they took by going out to sea. As was said, the sea is a cruel mistress.

"Luffy they knew what they were in for when they came."

Luffy nodded, a sad, weighted swing of his head.

"I know that it's just tha-"

A shrill voice cut him off, a woman's shriek of joy.

"Luffy! Oh my God Luffy! Ussop! Tony! Everyone! Oh my God!"

The woman tore into view, skirt hiking up to reveal more thigh than she had planned when buying it, her chest heaved while strands of orange-brown hair clouded her view. All these things seemed not to faze her as she sprinted across the swaying deck towards them, face aglow with glee.

Footsteps followed her as the other members of the crew rushed above deck, all faces showing alarm.

"Nami?" Luffy stood, his face showing the confusion that all of them felt.

The past week had been a sort of vigil, non yelled, nor laughed. Her excitement broke their silent pact. Only with a good amount of restraint could Ussop keep himself from scolding her for her lack of compassion for the dead. Instead he opted for an angry look and watched her.

With a heave she dropped, hands clasping her knees as she gasped for breath like a beached fish. The other stood patiently around him, all waiting on her words.

With a final heave she stood straight, revealing a smile that could melt even the swordsman's distain for her.

"There was an island! An ISLAND! Only about two miles away from where we lost them! Luffy! They are alive I know it!"

It was if a curtain was pulled from around the ship, letting the glorious sounds of life flood back to it. With in minutes the ship had turned, sails billowing, back towards the island, the curvinular title gleaming in the sun as she disappeared into the horizon.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Look! I updated. Ill try not to take 4 months next time… OH! And I'm changing the first few chapters. I realized… that writing sucks more than the stuff I just wrote!

Tony


	10. Over used plot lines?

Zoro's lungs burned, smoke from the fire whipping past his head into the air

Its short.

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Zoro's lungs burned.

Smoke from the fire whipped around his head into the air, pouring into his eyes, nose, and mouth, suffocating him. The blaze crackled merrily, bits of ash and burning flecks of leaves settled on his skin, coating him in a darkness that matched the plumes whirling into the sky. The thick shadows of smoke cut dark trails through the fading afternoon, blocking the view of the stars. As the sun continued it's lazy, yet rapid decent, the heat went with it, dropping the afternoon into a comfortable temperature, and quieting the chatter of tropical birds. But, in the decrease of heat, the bugs had become braver, and had made their way towards the oceanfront to feast on human flesh.

Zoro coughed as he inhaled through his mouth, the thick smoke smelled strongly, but it was the only tree on the island that burned black enough for a signal, and hot enough for a fire. Unfortunately it burned so black he could hardly see, and smelled way to strongly. The only good thing about the wood, which corresponded to the insect problem, was the oil that had seeped onto his body; ever since the malodorous sap had coated nearly all of his upper body, the pesky bugs had been less, well, pesky. Unfortunately he was giving himself a headache.

Though the smell was not the only culprit on that front.

A large bruise was testimony to the assailant on his heads well being. Zoro hadn't had the heart to look at it, nor the will to bring himself to think of the shame that would surely accompany it. Even without shoes, the cook could still kick.

_Makes sense, he _did _study under red-shoes Zeff…_ he rolled his eyes at the mildly idiotic thought, and winced as the flesh on the right side of his forehead move, disturbing the blood oozing, and puckered skin.With a ginger movement, he touched the welt, and found (with a mild amount of shock) that it was about the size of an egg. Zoro dully noted that he should _never _attempt to kiss the cook again. His escapade in romance had been short lived, and spur of the moment, "I'm gay" actions had been, well, thoroughly banished forever.

With a dry chuckle, he also decided never to buy Sanji one of those " Kiss the cook" aprons.

The cook in question was currently glowering at Zoro from the other side of the fire. Ever since "The Incident", as Zoro was now not-so-affectingly calling it, the cook had done nothing else. Apparently the sheer audacity of another man kissing him was more than he could comprehend.

_It's more than you can comprehend as well… what the hell were you thinking?_

It was really more than he could figure out. There was no real reason to ever kiss someone like Sanji. The cook was irritable, pushy, nosey, lusty, annoying, faithless, flirtatious, and, incredibly strait. Zoro looked away, unable to maintain eye contact with the obviously peeved blond. Whatever the consequences of his actions, he would have to face them, come hell, or high water. No matter what, it wasn't going to be a good outcome.

_Oh well,_ he thought lightly, _its not like things can get any worse._

Luffy sat erect on the prow of the ship, hand clasped tightly to his hat, a wide grin plastered to his face and he watched the hull slice through the choppy water. Nami had said it would take them a few days to reach the island that the two missing crewmembers could be on, but he didn't care. He was going to wait and watch for them, no matter what. After days of living in a hazy of worry and self-doubt, the thought of having them back was just to exciting to not drive him to pre-emptive scanning.

He wasn't the only feeling the positive effects of the news. Behind him the ship buzzed with activity, the shouts and laughs of crewmembers happily filling the air behind him. They were laughing again, and planning the "welcome back" party. "There has to be one," Chopper had squeaked, and everyone had full heartedly agreed. Even potentially days away, the party décor had already made appearances. The deck had been scrubbed again, and streamers looped lazily around the handrails. Chopper had wanted to put up the balloons, but Ussop had talked him out of it with a story filled with a moral on "why not to fill up party balloons to early". Luffy himself had been planning on trying some sort of expedition in food, but he too had been talked out of it by Ussop with a different story, this time on "Why we don't touch Sanji's things." He scanned the deck, feeling his grin widen as he basked in the happiness of the others, only-

-Only Nami wasn't happy like everyone else. The aforementioned navigator was sitting cross-legged in the center of the deck, back to the mast. Strune about her was the usual assortment of maps, markers, and other assorted paper. Though, all of her focus seemed to be on one piece of parchment. He had figured Nami would be the Happiest of all, she had been the one to spot the blotch on the chart indicating an island, therefore she would have I'm-responsible-for-saving-you bragging rights.

Luffy hopped down from his perch and made his way over to the spot on the deck where Nami sat, noticing as he came closer worry lines etched onto a haunted face. At the sound of his steps she looked up and him, beckoning him over with a light wave of her index finger. He hastened his pace and sat next to her.

"Luffy, do you see that mark?"

He nodded, and she continued

" Do you know what that means?"

He stared closely at the mark, a strange vulture-like bird made of angles, its beak and head were thrown back, large teeth hooked out of its open maw. Red ink dotted down its otherwise white chest. It mark scared him for an odd reason, like a creature he had once heard of but wouldn't quite remember. Fearing an eye roll and an exasperated sigh, he shook his head no.

The sigh never came, and she didn't look irritated as she normally did when he admitted to not knowing a thing about maps.

" I looked it up, and it means…."

She trailed of, voice cracking.

"What does it mean, Nami?"

She looked gravely at him, fear and terror lancing over her face.

" It means we have to hurry. Luffy, that mark means the island is inhabited by man-eaters. Cannibals. And Luffy, Zoro's weapons are still in his room."

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I'm not going to lie, I have some sever writers block…. So…I guess, if you demand updates, I demand Ideas…. Im pretty out. So yeah, Ill keep these little Guys (and I mean friggen little) coming until I can think of how to get this one to end. Well get it TO the end. I know how it ends… writers block… grr rer rerr.

Oh and PS for those of you wondering. I excluded the characters Brooke, Robin, and Franky because I loves the merry go, I loves her with all my heart.


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